By Ricardo Maarman
A representative government results from a voter turnout of more than 50%. In the 2024 National elections, the voter turnout was only 38%, contrary to the misleading reported figure of 58%. The total voter population, based on Stats SA’s latest census of persons 18 years and older, is 42.5m; only 16.3m voted in the 2024 National elections.
This is a Constitutional crisis, and the legitimacy of this GNU is in serious doubt! The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides no guidance to prevent an unrepresentative government nor a remedy when faced with the current crisis. To continue unabated with an unrepresentative government is tantamount to authoritarianism and anti-Constitutional.
The Constitution provides for procedurally free and fair elections. This indisputably starts with the integrity of those commissioned to administer the elections. Now, let’s zone-in on the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). An IEC commissioner, Dr Nomsa Praisy Masuku was arrested allegedly for fraud. Congolese opposition party candidates accused IEC commissioner Janet Love of being party to electoral fraud in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The IEC CEO, Sy Mamabolo met with the United States (US) Ambassador to South Africa shortly before the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. It is common knowledge that the US, a friend of Israel, is gravely offended by the African National Congress (ANC) taking the Genocide case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). At the very least, this ill-conceived meeting was a serious miscalculation, worst-case scenario, potential election interference. It warrants further investigation.
The election results scoreboard inexplicably went blank in full public view for a number of hours during the vote counting. The IEC reassured the public that nothing untoward occurred, surely we need more than just the solemn word of the IEC commissioners. In the absence of an independent public enquiry into why the scoreboard went blank and whether there was hacking or not, this casts serious doubt on the election outcome.
If the GNU veers away from the ICJ case and alters its foreign policy, it would further add to the circumstantial evidence of election interference and a soft coup. Strangely in Ramaphosa’s speech in the Opening of Parliament Address, there was no mention made on foreign policy at all. This is a sure indicator that a shift in foreign policy is afoot.
It is inexplicable how the ANC shunned its break-away parties with shared values and formed a GNU with its arch-ideological enemies. Clearly, a GNU with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and FF Plus is not a product of natural selection. Was the ANC pressurised into forming this GNU? This is nothing but an ANC and DA coalition disguised as a GNU. Who benefits from this GNU; it’s the DA of course and the “markets”. If the ANC leadership was pressurised, through underhanded tactics, this would be yet another indicator of a soft coup.
Opening of Parliament Address 2024
Ramaphosa’s speech at the opening of Parliament gave us some clear indications of what might have happened in 2024 elections and snippets of what’s to come. The ANC Members of Parliament (MPs) were subdued, reserved and restrained (indicative that something is amiss), contrary to the DA MPs who could not contain their joyous celebration!
Ramaphosa did not mention the unprecedented ICJ case against Israel, in fact the contentious foreign affairs was sidestepped. A shift of foreign policy is on the cards, indicative of potential foreign interference in our nations elections. Ramaphosa reaffirmed the GNU’s commitment to the UN 2030 Agenda, an agenda that renders the sovereignty of any nation that adheres to it, obsolete.
Ramaphosa renewed his commitment to the destruction of the nation’s energy security in the name of Just Energy Transition (JET). The high unemployment will be patched over using Universal Income which will turn every recipient into slaves of the state. Contrary to the old adage, ‘teach a man to fish’ and you feed him for a lifetime.
Ramaphosa is determined to brand our people like cattle with the proverbial mark of the beast with Digital ID, that will eventually be wearable technology containing invasive biometrics. Digital currency and transactions will ensure no one can buy or sell without the proverbial mark of the beast. The data-driven crime fighting agenda is nothing more than the expansion of the police state which will extend into cyberspace; akin to the movie “The Minority Report”.
Ramaphosa’s analogy of birds signals the end of freedom and the ushering in of a dystopian future, where the wings of freedom are clipped and the gilded-cages, readied for us!
Ramaphosa, like a proverbial Judas goat is leading the ANC and this nation to the slaughter!
* Ricardo Maarman is the leader of Azania Peaceful Revolution and author of the book ‘The Subversion of South Africa’ (available at xarrabooks.com).
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.